Who We Are

Hold up, wait a min. Look for the boom box above & the music notes, to turn off the sound before playing this video.

MA…Musiic and Ashley, along with the talented educators and artists they work with, bring their love of musiic and children together to create spirit inspiring, cultural, and educational experiences for all those they come in contact with.

MUSIIC GALLOWAYMusiic, (me!) came into this world in the late 70′s, and yes, it is my real name. I was born into a warm and creative home filled with music. My father was a singer and my early childhood memories are filled with backstage concert action, playing and falling asleep in recording studios or dancing all day at any festival my dad was performing at; where many times my mom had a booth selling pies and cakes. So fun!

There wasn’t a talent show that I wasn’t at. You could always catch me singing or performing. Singing away, I auditioned for my dream high school, the “fame” of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. I was able to study and sing with some of the best. I majored in jazz and loved singing in the gospel choir. I started singing back up vocals on some major label projects when I was 16 and earned my union card.

I landed the Macy Gray gig and recorded the album “on how life is” and toured with her for some time. Then I was fortunate enough to go on a few world tours with the amazing Nikka Costa, where I grew tremendously. In the midst of all of this and also backing up other artists, I was introduced to a mommy and me music program that I fell in love with. Although the intention of the program was great, it wasn’t quite my vibe and it came with a lot of limitations so I decided to reach out to few hot mamas to start classes on my own, in their homes. This idea grew like a wildfire and I was unable to handle the demand. So I teamed up with my soul sista business partner, Ashley Thompson to grow the business and finally give you all the other classes and teachers you’ve been asking and waiting for!!

Thank you for welcoming me all these years (and now my friends!) into your homes into your lives to spread our love for the arts. We are a tribe, we are growing, and I always say we find each other. ;-)

Love, Musiic

ASHLEY THOMPSON My first experience in the arts was on stage at age 3 as Medea’s daughter in a disco version (yes, it was the 70′s!) of the greek tragedy in Oakland Ca. And the artistic party continued from there!

My parents were (and are again!) educators -a teacher and a professor- who followed their hearts to the arts. A big part of my childhood was watching many a song and dance movies with my dad (Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers, Gene Kelly, Dorothy Dandridge)

I grew up in the theatre with my parents; watching rehearsals, soaking in songs and choreography. -taking naps in the aisle. The after parties were always fun too!

Broadway took my family from the Bay Area to New York. (Film brought us to Los Angeles.) I started modeling with Ford and doing commercials at the age of 7 and trained with Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Westchester School of Ballet at Suny Purchase. At the age of 10 I performed for 2 years in Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. At 12 I realized yet another one of passions…I was old enough to babysit and be with kids!!!! From then on I was always immersed in the homes and lives of wonderful families as a tutor, a mentor, a sister…another member of the family.

At 14 we moved to LA where I graduated from the Theatre Dept at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. –Sneaking into the dance and music departments whenever I could! Off to UCLA I went, yet after a year (and being cast in Sister Act 2) I ventured out into “life” to act. Shortly thereafter the concept of what is now Creative Seeds floated into my mind.

Some months traveling in South East Asia, coming back and training at The Ca. Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and teaching dance to children at Kids and Dance in the Bay Area somehow all lead me back to LA in 2000. Upon arriving back, I learned to stilt walk and juggle with Roy John’s Girls On Stilts, returned to UCLA (World Arts & Cultures – emphasis in Cultural Studies) to knock out my degree, and simultaneously threw myself into any arts based space or program I could find in my pursuit to grow roots in Arts & Education. Among them, Inner City Arts, STAR, LACER afterschool programs and the Music Center Education Division.

With the birth of my son Magnus in 2006, Creative Seeds grew into the physical form of an arts space on Pico. Quite a few people had told Musiic and I we needed to meet. I reached out. She squeezed a class at Creative Seeds into her packed schedule. We realized as friends, mamas, and artists working with families, we were the perfect business match!

We joined forces. Solely focused on in home music classes. And in 2010, as my son Thaddeus made his way into the world, we started rocking Love Musiic.

I love learning, growing, and sharing special moments with you and your children. It’s a gift that tickles my heart and lights up my spirit. The children, (some now adults!) families, and artists I’ve worked with throughout the years continue to inspire me. And from that inspiration, I’m excited to share all that we’re growing!

Be Wonder-ful…

Ashley

LOVE MUSIIC & MUSIIC ROXUS ARTISTS

AURARaised in both California and Holland, Aura grew up playing piano and studying Indian Classical Music and Jazz. After completing a BA in music at the Maastricht Conservatory in Holland, she moved to London for two years where she began performing regularly and found her voice in songwriting. She has a BA in music and singing with extensive experience teaching children and adults singing, piano, and music theory. There is nothing more fun than helping children discover music and their talents for it, or helping adults discover they too have the capability to sing beautifully!

DANTE

Dante Pascuzzo was born into an Italian-American family and raised in Los Angeles, California. Influenced and taught by his father, who is also a musician, Dante began playing bass at age 11. As a senior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Dante won Down Beat Magazine’s “Best jazz soloist,” and “Best rock, pop, blues soloist Awards. That same year at the age of seventeen, Dante recorded an album of original music by himself and Violinist Anand Bennett entitled Home Grown. It was produced by Peter Erskine, and included other world-class musicians such as Zakir Hussain, Alex Acuna, and Alan Pasqua.

After high school Dante earned his BFA in Jazz Studies from the California Institute of the Arts jazz program. He studied under Charlie Haden, Dave Carpenter, and Darek Oles. Pascuzzo has performed, written, or recorded with many artists including Quetzal, Son De Madera, Ozomatli, and Shaila Durcal. He has a solo jazz album titled La La by his oldest son Sebastian. Dante currently teaches guitar and bass privately and at the Silverlake Conservatory. Part of his heart and attention pours into teaching the music he loves to upcoming musicians. And… it keeps him on top of his game!

ANNA

Anna Castro grew up watching her mother, a visual artist and designer, manifest beauty at the sewing machine, in the studio, and running her production company. She also spent many happy nights shadowing her father, a vocalist and songwriter, in rehearsals, recording sessions, and performances. Dad says the best place for the bassinet is right next to the bass amp, the vibrations knock ya right out!

Anna began her own performance career in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe at the ripe old age of 7, kicking off a wild love affair with the theatre. Anna attended Hamilton Music Academy where she majored in musical theatre. Anna has since studied and performed with such dance masters as Gregory Hines, N’Zingha Camara, Kemoko Sano, Oscar Camara, Koka Diabate, Titus Fatso, Jean July and Chester Whitmore.

Anna is a certified yoga teacher, with specializations in yoga with children and pre-natal yoga and holds a degree in Early Childhood Education. During her 15 years of teaching experience she taught pre-school at Play Mountain Place for 5 years and is currently teaching the arts and yoga in pre-schools, elementary schools, studios and homes. Anna is passionate about Non-Violent Communication, relationship building, problem solving, emergent curriculum and exploring the beautiful world around and within us with children!

BOBBY

Bobby Wilmore came to Los Angeles in 2001 on a music scholarship to USC Thornton School of Music to study Jazz Drumming and World Percussion. With in no time Bobby was performing with some of L.A.s finest; including Harry Belafonte, Andy Garcia, Francisco Aguabella, Rebekah Del Rio, Justo Almario, Bill Watrous, Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro, Bianca Ryan, and Maestro Lázaro Galarraga. Bobby has also done many studio sessions with artists such as Maya Angelou, Ron Trent, Karsh Kale, The Quit Orchestra, Shawn Rivera, Moonlight Carnival, Kathleen Grace, Roger Carnes, and Jorge Black.

Bobby has performed all around the world for events such as: International Tour in London with The Variations, National Summer Tour with Ali and AJ, Corbin Bleu, and Drake Bell, AFI Film festivals, HBO Black Film Awards Ceremony, MOLA, Ford Amphitheatre, SXSW, San Jose, African market place, and the Festival of the drum. Recently Bobby played a tour in Bobby is the Musical Director for L.A.’s top Pan-African performance ensemble L’Esprit D’Afrique. He also produced an album of traditional afro-cuban music with his God- Father Maestro Lázaro Galarraga and Producer Angel Figueroa; which features the three of them playing Batá drums and Singing. The Album Emí Ókókán, was released in July 2009.

He spreads his passion for music through teaching world music and percussion. He’s taught classes at USC, University of Missouri, Foshay Middle school, Santa Monica Ocean Charter School, Lula Washington Dance Center, Museum of Latin American Art, and in Orange County and Los Angeles Youth Centers. Bobby gives huge thanks to his parents for their endless support, his Godfather Lázaro for his wisdom and passion, and all his teachers over the years; especially Angel Figeuroa, Ndugu Chancler, Sameer Gupta, and “all the kids that teach me how to learn everyday.”

EMEKA

Emeka has been sharing his love, joy, and passion for movement and rhythm with children and adults for over eleven years. He is a dancer, choreographer, and cultural ambassador. Originally from Tallahassee, Florida, he moved to Los Angeles in 1997. Since then he has taught, choreographed and performed locally at UCLA Royce Hall, Highways Performance Space, REDCAT Disney Hall, Alex Theater, Skirball Cultural Center, Ford Amphitheater, 24th Street Theater, UCLA Kaufman Theater, Grand Performances California Plaza, Latin American Art, Fowler Museum, Armand Hammer Museum, L.A. Museum of Contemporary Art, King King Hollywood, Zanzibar, Bordello Bar and The Purple Lounge at The Standard Hollywood just to name a few. Internationally, he has performed in Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico and has shared the stage with artists like Damien (Jr. Gong) Marley, Smokey Robinson, Lazaro Gallaraga, Nzingha Camara, Quetzal Guerrero and Aakon.

MATT

Matthew Brundrett is a recent LA transplant from New York City. Matthew has been performing and teaching for more than half his life working with students of all ages. He has a bachelor of fine art in jazz and contemporary music from the New School University. While in New York he has played and toured over Europe and the US numerous times, playing all kinds of music including playing percussion in a Puerto Rican Rock Opera to playing tympani in an all female Accordion Orchestra. He recently finished a graduate level teacher certification program at Brooklyn College and became certified to teach music at all grade levels K-12 in New York State. He is very excited to work with the Love Musiic Grows Creative Seeds team.

FRED

Fred Parnes is a writer, producer, director, actor and musician. Career highlights include directing a cappella legends The Persuasions in the documentary Spread The Word and writing and producing Starting Out in the Evening starring the great Frank Langella. Fred was born in New York and went to school at the University of Michigan. He is married to Isabelle Candelier, a wonderful actress from France and has two fantastic bi-lingual children, Rafael (10) and Angela (8).

MAT

Mat has a songwriting BA in music from Berklee college of music. He started piano at 9, guitar at 11, and was touring the US at 17. After two years of teaching music at the Le Lycee francais de Los Angeles, his band, Agnes Gooch, was signed with a major label. Lollapalooza, the Hollywood life, many shows and many bands later, a two year nanny gig, and a 10 month solo trip to some 13 countries, (favorites were Turkey, Sri Lanka, & Cambodia) he has found the perfect job, teaching. He is the music teacher at Larchmont Charter School at their Fairfax campus. He gets to share and sing great songs with cool kids, and still find time to travel, he’s never been happier! Mat still writes and plays music. He is he also certified in Kundalini Yoga from Golden Bridge. Check out his first solo album, Overcome. And a video of one of the songs, with some familiar faces.

TINY THYME TEACHERS

CALYNNI believe that each child was made unique and with purpose! My role as an Educator is to guide and facilitate whole child development by creating environments that pique a child’s curiosity and foster a love of learning. I hold a Master teaching credential in Early Childhood Education and have fourteen years of experience with children, including six as a preschool teacher.

My personal philosophy most closely mirrors Reggio Emilia, which allows teachers to develop curricula based on developmentally appropriate practices, a child’s natural interests (emergent curriculum), and occurrences in their environments. Cultural traditions and familial experiences offer valuable learning opportunities for all young children and enrich early programming. It is important for children to understand that they are part of a larger community and each of us contributes to the success of that community.